Fubar
/ˈfuː.bɑːr/noun
A slang adjective or noun describing something as severely damaged, disorganized, or beyond repair.
Did you know?FUBAR emerged in U.S. military slang during World War II, alongside acronymic expressions such as SNAFU, though its precise first expansion and earliest printed appearance remain debated.
Etymological Timeline
World War II era
American English
FUBAR
“Military slang describing something as badly damaged or hopelessly disordered.”
1940s
American English
fucked up beyond all recognition
“The commonly cited expansion: damaged or ruined beyond identification.”
1940s
American English
fucked up beyond all repair
“A recorded variant expansion emphasizing irreparable damage.”
1944
American English
FUBAR
“Appears in documented wartime slang contexts, although competing claims exist about its exact earliest use.”
Late 20th Century
English
fubar
“Informal civilian slang for something disastrously malfunctioning or chaotic.”
Modern English
English
FUBAR
“A widely recognized slang term for a situation that is completely broken or beyond repair.”